In case you’ve not been paying attention, WWE is now on Netflix. Both companies are trumpeting the deal as loudly as possible, and having been an early subscriber to WWE Network when it reached the UK, I’m pretty excited about.
You see, WWE was my life as a kid, right up until my teens. I was fortunate to grow up as the Attitude Era moved into the Ruthless Aggression one, meaning I was lucky enough to see the heights of The Rock, Stone Cold, and The Undertaker as the company segued into the rise of Brock Lesnar, John Cena, and more.
In recent years, though, my excitement waned. That’s not a comment on WWE’s product, far from it, but outside of ensuring I play the latest WWE 2K game every year my love for wrestling fell between the cracks of work, parenting, and just about everything else.
Now, though, the Netflix deal could have me watching regularly again.
Having not seen a WWE event since I was lucky enough to attend THAT Montreal Elimination Chamber where Sami Zayn took on Roman Reigns in the sort-of-conclusion to the Bloodline feud, I was surprised to see Roman is a face now.
And, while the WWE’s debut on Netflix felt like a curtain-raiser aimed less at continuing stories and more at bringing lapsed fans and newcomers back, it worked.
What it lacked in matches it made up for with production quality, video packages, and a genuinely stirring monologue from head honcho Triple H that would have even the most cynical wrasslin' fan on the edge of their seat.
A mix of playing the hits (Undertaker on the bike, The Rock doing, well, Rock things), and a focus on the company’s biggest current stars, this was unabashedly WWE at its glitziest. The company has previously been described as style over substance and while nights like this mean you can see that way of thinking, it’s just so impressive as a spectacle that it’s hard not to be a little bowled over by it.
Still, this week’s Raw was less about what happened in the ring, and more about what was happening behind the scenes.
I mentioned earlier that I subscribed to WWE Network early on in its run in the UK, but it soon fell by the wayside. It’s a bill that’s tough to justify alongside the value offered by Disney Plus, Prime, Netflix, and a cable TV subscription through Sky.
It was the kind of thing I’d occasionally re-subscribe for a month just to watch Royal Rumble or Wrestlemania, but even those instances became less common. I appreciate that the Netflix library is diminished compared to WWE’s own platform, but the opportunity to stream some classic PPVs when I’m having that familiar ‘choice paralysis’ Netflix often comes with makes it a big win for lapsed fans.
And yet, I might not be lapsed anymore. It’s easier to stream an episode of Raw every now and again when you don’t feel guilty about the ones you missed on WWE Network when you’re paying for it. Would I have watched this week’s Raw otherwise? No chance.
Now, though, I’m feeling invested in the pizazz and pageantry in a way I perhaps wouldn’t have been otherwise. Just as I witnessed the eras change from Attitude to Ruthless Aggression, I’m genuinely excited about wrestling again.
WWE, you’ve got me back — and I think I’m going to like it here.
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